Location-based determinations

ABSTRACT

A method for location-dependent determination comprises: determining, with one or more processors, a geographic location of a user&#39;s electronic device using first data; in response to determining the determined geographic location is insufficient for performing a location-dependent determination, requesting second data to determine an updated geographic location of the user&#39;s electronic device; performing, with an Application Programming Interface (API), the location-dependent determination based on the updated geographic location; and completing, with the API, a transaction using the location-dependent determination.

FIELD

The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to the technicalfield of special-purpose machines that determine the location of auser's device. Once the user's device's location is determined,determinations that are location-dependent can be made.

BACKGROUND

The present subject matter seeks to address technical problems existingin making determinations based on a user's location. For example, an IPaddress of a user's device may indicate a location of an internetservice provider's or mobile carrier's gateway and not the location ofthe user device. Accordingly, a location-dependent determination may beinaccurate due to the inaccuracy in determined location.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Some embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation inthe views of the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a networked system, according tosome example embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing architectural aspects of a publicationsystem, according to some example embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a representative softwarearchitecture, which may be used in conjunction with various hardwarearchitectures herein described

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating components of a machine,according to some example embodiments, able to read instructions from amachine-readable medium (e.g., a machine-readable storage medium) andperform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing aspects of an online method forconducting a transaction between a merchant site and an electronic userdevice using a payment processor, according to some example embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a system, according to someexample embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method in accordance, according tosome example embodiments.

FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B illustrate a graphical user interface in accordancewith some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

“Carrier Signal”, in this context, refers to any intangible medium thatis capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for executionby a machine, and includes digital or analog communication signals orother intangible media to facilitate communication of such instructions.Instructions may be transmitted or received over a network using atransmission medium via a network interface device and using any one ofa number of well-known transfer protocols.

“Client Device” or “Electronic Device”, in this context, refers to anymachine that interfaces to a communications network to obtain resourcesfrom one or more server systems or other client devices. A client devicemay be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, desktop computer, laptop,portable digital assistant (PDA), smart phone, tablet, ultra-book,netbook, laptop, multi-processor system, microprocessor-based orprogrammable consumer electronic system, game console, set-top box, orany other communication device that a user may use to access a network.

“Customer's Electronic Device” or “Electronic User Device”, in thiscontext, refers to a client device that a customer uses to interact witha merchant. Examples of this device include a desktop computer, a laptopcomputer, a mobile device (e.g., smartphone, tablet), and a gameconsole. The customer's electronic device may interact with the merchantvia a browser application that executes on the customer's electronicdevice or via a native app installed onto the customer's electronicdevice. The client-side application executes on the customer'selectronic device.

“Communications Network”, in this context, refers to one or moreportions of a network that may be an ad hoc network, an intranet, anextranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network (LAN), awireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless WAN (WWAN), ametropolitan area network (MAN), the Internet, a portion of theInternet, a portion of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), aplain old telephone service (POTS) network, a cellular telephonenetwork, a wireless network, a Wi-Fi® network, another type of network,or a combination of two or more such networks. For example, a network ora portion of a network may include a wireless or cellular network, andthe coupling may be a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) connection, aGlobal System for Mobile communications (GSM) connection, or anothertype of cellular or wireless coupling. In this example, the coupling mayimplement any of a variety of types of data transfer technology, such asSingle Carrier Radio Transmission Technology (1×RTT), Evolution-DataOptimized (EVDO) technology, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)technology, Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) technology,third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) including 3G, fourthgeneration wireless (4G) networks, Universal Mobile TelecommunicationsSystem (UMTS), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), WorldwideInteroperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Long-Term Evolution (LTE)standard, others defined by various standard-setting organizations,other long-range protocols, or other data transfer technology.

“Component”, in this context, refers to a device, physical entity, orlogic having boundaries defined by function or subroutine calls, branchpoints, application programming interfaces (APIs), or other technologiesthat provide for the partitioning or modularization of particularprocessing or control functions. Components may be combined via theirinterfaces with other components to carry out a machine process. Acomponent may be a packaged functional hardware unit designed for usewith other components and a part of a program that usually performs aparticular function of related functions. Components may constituteeither software components (e.g., code embodied on a machine-readablemedium) or hardware components.

A “hardware component” is a tangible unit capable of performing certainoperations and may be configured or arranged in a certain physicalmanner. In various example embodiments, one or more computer systems(e.g., a standalone computer system, a client computer system, or aserver computer system) or one or more hardware components of a computersystem (e.g., a processor or a group of processors) may be configured bysoftware (e.g., an application or application portion) as a hardwarecomponent that operates to perform certain operations as describedherein. A hardware component may also be implemented mechanically,electronically, or any suitable combination thereof. For example, ahardware component may include dedicated circuitry or logic that ispermanently configured to perform certain operations. A hardwarecomponent may be a special-purpose processor, such as afield-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specificintegrated circuit (ASIC). A hardware component may also includeprogrammable logic or circuitry that is temporarily configured bysoftware to perform certain operations. For example, a hardwarecomponent may include software executed by a general-purpose processoror other programmable processor. Once configured by such software,hardware components become specific machines (or specific components ofa machine) uniquely tailored to perform the configured functions and areno longer general-purpose processors.

It will be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardwarecomponent mechanically, in dedicated and permanently configuredcircuitry, or in temporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured bysoftware) may be driven by cost and time considerations. Accordingly,the phrase “hardware component” (or “hardware-implemented component”)should be understood to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entitythat is physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g.,hardwired), or temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in acertain manner or to perform certain operations described herein.Considering embodiments in which hardware components are temporarilyconfigured (e.g., programmed), each of the hardware components need notbe configured or instantiated at any one instant in time. For example,where a hardware component comprises a general-purpose processorconfigured by software to become a special-purpose processor, thegeneral-purpose processor may be configured as respectively differentspecial-purpose processors (e.g., comprising different hardwarecomponents) at different times. Software accordingly configures aparticular processor or processors, for example, to constitute aparticular hardware component at one instant of time and to constitute adifferent hardware component at a different instant of time. Hardwarecomponents can provide information to, and receive information from,other hardware components. Accordingly, the described hardwarecomponents may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Wheremultiple hardware components exist contemporaneously, communications maybe achieved through signal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuitsand buses) between or among two or more of the hardware components. Inembodiments in which multiple hardware components are configured orinstantiated at different times, communications between such hardwarecomponents may be achieved, for example, through the storage andretrieval of information in memory structures to which the multiplehardware components have access. For example, one hardware component mayperform an operation and store the output of that operation in a memorydevice to which it is communicatively coupled. A further hardwarecomponent may then, at a later time, access the memory device toretrieve and process the stored output. Hardware components may alsoinitiate communications with input or output devices, and can operate ona resource (e.g., a collection of information).

The various operations of example methods described herein may beperformed, at least partially, by one or more processors that aretemporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured toperform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanentlyconfigured, such processors may constitute processor-implementedcomponents that operate to perform one or more operations or functionsdescribed herein. As used herein, “processor-implemented component”refers to a hardware component implemented using one or more processors.Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least partiallyprocessor-implemented, with a particular processor or processors beingan example of hardware. For example, at least some of the operations ofa method may be performed by one or more processors orprocessor-implemented components. Moreover, the one or more processorsmay also operate to support performance of the relevant operations in a“cloud computing” environment or as a “software as a service” (SaaS).For example, at least some of the operations may be performed by a groupof computers (as examples of machines including processors), with theseoperations being accessible via a network (e.g., the Internet) and viaone or more appropriate interfaces (e.g., an API). The performance ofcertain of the operations may be distributed among the processors, notonly residing within a single machine, but deployed across a number ofmachines. In some example embodiments, the processors orprocessor-implemented components may be located in a single geographiclocation (e.g., within a home environment, an office environment, or aserver farm). In other example embodiments, the processors orprocessor-implemented components may be distributed across a number ofgeographic locations.

“Machine-Readable Medium” in this context refers to a component, device,or other tangible medium able to store instructions and data temporarilyor permanently and may include, but not be limited to, random-accessmemory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), buffer memory, flash memory,optical media, magnetic media, cache memory, other types of storage(e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM)), and/or anysuitable combination thereof. The term “machine-readable medium” shouldbe taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., acentralized or distributed database, or associated caches and servers)able to store instructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shallalso be taken to include any medium, or combination of multiple media,that is capable of storing instructions (e.g., code) for execution by amachine, such that the instructions, when executed by one or moreprocessors of the machine, cause the machine to perform any one or moreof the methodologies described herein. Accordingly, a “machine-readablemedium” refers to a single storage apparatus or device, as well as“cloud-based” storage systems or storage networks that include multiplestorage apparatus or devices. The term “machine-readable medium”excludes signals per se.

“Processor”, in one context, refers to any circuit or virtual circuit (aphysical circuit emulated by logic executing on an actual processor)that manipulates data values according to control signals (e.g.,“commands,” “op codes,” “machine code,” etc.) and which producescorresponding output signals that are applied to operate a machine. Aprocessor may, for example, be a central processing unit (CPU), areduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complexinstruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit(GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, a radio-frequencyintegrated circuit (RFIC), or any combination thereof. A processor mayfurther be a multi-core processor having two or more independentprocessors (sometimes referred to as “cores”) that may executeinstructions contemporaneously.

In another context, a “Processor” (e.g., processor 514 in FIG. 5 ) is acompany (often a third party) appointed to handle payment card (e.g.,credit card, debit card) transactions. They have connections to variouscard networks and supply authorization and settlement services tomerchants or payment service providers. In aspects, they can also movethe money from an issuing bank to a merchant or acquiring bank.

“Card Network” (or “Card Association”), in this context, refers tofinancial payment networks such as Visa®, MasterCard®. AmericanExpress®, Diners Club®, JCB®, and China Union-Pay®.

“Acquiring Bank” or “Acquirer”, in this context, refers to a bank orfinancial institution that accepts credit and/or debit card paymentsfrom affiliated card networks for products or services on behalf of amerchant or payment service provider.

“Card Issuing Bank” or “Issuing Bank”, in this context, refers to a bankthat offers card network or association-branded payment cards directlyto consumers. An issuing bank assumes primary liability for theconsumer's capacity to pay off debts they incur with their card.

“Payment Information” includes information required to complete atransaction, and the specific type of information provided may vary bypayment type. Some payment information will be sensitive (e.g., the cardvalidation code), while other information might not be (e.g., zip code).For example, when a payment is made via a credit card or debit card, thepayment information includes a primary account number (PAN) or creditcard number, card validation code, and expiration month and year. Inanother payment example, made using an Automated Clearinghouse (ACH)transaction for example, the payment information includes a bank routingnumber and an account number within that bank.

“Sensitive information” may not necessarily be related to paymentinformation and may include other confidential personal information,such as medical (e.g., HIPAA) information, for example. The ambit of theterm “Payment Information” includes “Sensitive information” within itsscope. In some examples, sensitive payment information may include“regulated payment information,” which may change over time. Forexample, currently a merchant cannot collect more than the first six (6)or the last four (4) numbers of a customer's PAN without generallyneeding to comply with Payment Card Industry (PCI) regulations. But cardnumber lengths may change, and when they do, the “6 and 4” rules willlikely change with them. These potential future changes are incorporatedwithin the ambit of “regulated payment information,” which is, in turn,included within the ambit of the term “payment information” as definedherein.

“Merchant”, in this context, refers to an entity that is associated withselling or licensing products and/or services over electronic systemssuch as the Internet and other computer networks. The merchant may bethe direct seller/licensor, or the merchant may be an agent for a directseller/licensor. For example, entities such as Amazon® sometimes act asthe direct seller/licensor, and sometimes act as an agent for a directseller/licensor.

“Merchant Site”, in this context, refers to an e-commerce site or portal(e.g., website, or mobile app) of the merchant. In some figures, themerchant (e.g., a merchant 502 of FIG. 5 ) and merchant servers (e.g.,merchant servers 506 of FIG. 5 ) are associated with the merchant site.The merchant site is associated with a client-side application and aserver-side application. In one example embodiment, the merchant siteincludes the merchant servers 506 of FIG. 5 , and the server-sideapplication executes on the merchant servers 506.

“Payment Processor”, in this context, (e.g., a payment processor 510 inFIG. 5 ) refers to an entity or a plurality of entities that facilitatea transaction, for example between a merchant and a customer'selectronic device. With reference to a high-level descriptionillustrated in FIG. 5 , in some examples described more fully below, thepayment processor includes selected functionality of both the paymentprocessor 510 and processor 514/card networks 516. For example, thepayment processor 510 creates tokens and maintains and verifiespublishable (non-secret) keys and secret keys. In the illustratedexample, the processor 514/card networks 516 are involved in authorizingor validating payment information. In one example embodiment, thepayment processor 510 and the processor 514/card networks 516 functiontogether to authorize and validate payment information, issue a token,and settle any charges that are made. Accordingly, in this embodiment,“payment processor” refers to the functionality of the payment processor510 and the functionality of the processor 514/card networks 516. Inanother example embodiment, wherein step (3) in the high-leveldescription is not performed, and the payment processor 510 performs itsown verification before issuing a token, the processor 514/card networks516 are still used for settling any charges that are made, as describedin step (7). Accordingly, in this embodiment, “payment processor” mayrefer only to the functionality of the payment processor 510 withrespect to issuing tokens. Further, in the example arrangement shown,the payment processor 510, the processor 514, and the card networks 516are shown as separate entities. In some examples, their respectivefunctions may be performed by two entities, or even just one entity,with the entities themselves being configured accordingly.

“Native Application” or “native app”, in this context, refers to an appcommonly used with a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet. Whenused with a mobile device, the native app is installed directly onto themobile device. Mobile device users typically obtain these apps throughan online store or marketplace, such as an app store (e.g., Apple's AppStore, Google Play store). More generically, a native application isdesigned to run in the computer environment (machine language andoperating system) that it is being run in. It can be referred to as a“locally installed application.” A native application differs from aninterpreted application, such as a Java applet, which requiresinterpreter software. A native application also differs from an emulatedapplication that is written for a different platform and converted inreal time to run, and a web application that is run within the browser.

The description that follows includes systems, methods, techniques,instruction sequences, and computing machine program products thatembody illustrative embodiments of the disclosure. In the followingdescription, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific detailsare set forth in order to provide an understanding of variousembodiments of the inventive subject matter. It will be evident,however, to those skilled in the art, that embodiments of the inventivesubject matter may be practiced without these specific details. Ingeneral, well-known instruction instances, protocols, structures, andtechniques are not necessarily shown in detail. In this specification,the terms “user”, “cardholder”, and “consumer” are used interchangeablyunless the context indicates otherwise.

With reference to FIG. 1 , an example embodiment of a high-level SaaSnetwork architecture 100 is shown. A networked system 116 providesserver-side functionality via a network 110 (e.g., the Internet or aWAN) to a client device 108. A web client 102 and a programmatic client,in the example form of a client application 104, are hosted and executeon the client device 108. The networked system 116 includes anapplication server 122, which in turn hosts a publication system 106(such as the publication system hosted at https://stripe.com by Stripe,Inc. of San Francisco, Calif. (herein “Stripe”) as an example of apayment processor 510) that provides a number of functions and servicesto the client application 104 that accesses the networked system 116.The client application 104 also provides a number of interfacesdescribed herein, which present output of push payment decision routingto a user of the client device 108.

The client device 108 enables a user to access and interact with thenetworked system 116 and, ultimately, the publication system 106. Forinstance, the user provides input (e.g., touch screen input oralphanumeric input) to the client device 108, and the input iscommunicated to the networked system 116 via the network 110. In thisinstance, the networked system 116, in response to receiving the inputfrom the user, communicates information back to the client device 108via the network 110 to be presented to the user.

An API server 118 and a web server 120 are coupled, and provideprogrammatic and web interfaces respectively, to the application server122. The application server 122 hosts the publication system 106, whichincludes components or applications described further below. Theapplication server 122 is, in turn, shown to be coupled to a databaseserver 124 that facilitates access to information storage repositories(e.g., a database 126). In an example embodiment, the database 126includes storage devices that store information accessed and generatedby the publication system 106.

Additionally, a third-party application 114, executing on one or morethird-party servers 112, is shown as having programmatic access to thenetworked system 116 via the programmatic interface provided by the APIserver 118. For example, the third-party application 114, usinginformation retrieved from the networked system 116, may support one ormore features or functions on a website hosted by a third party.

Turning now specifically to the applications hosted by the client device108, the web client 102 may access the various systems (e.g., thepublication system 106) via the web interface supported by the webserver 120. Similarly, the client application 104 (e.g., an “app” suchas a payment processor app) accesses the various services and functionsprovided by the publication system 106 via the programmatic interfaceprovided by the API server 118. The client application 104 may be, forexample, an “app” executing on the client device 108, such as an iOS orAndroid OS application to enable a user to access and input data on thenetworked system 116 in an offline manner and to perform batch-modecommunications between the programmatic client application 104 and thenetworked system 116.

Further, while the SaaS network architecture 100 shown in FIG. 1 employsa client-server architecture, the present inventive subject matter is,of course, not limited to such an architecture, and could equally wellfind application in a distributed, or peer-to-peer, architecture system,for example. The publication system 106 could also be implemented as astandalone software program, which does not necessarily have networkingcapabilities.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing architectural details of a publicationsystem 106, according to some example embodiments. Specifically, thepublication system 106 is shown to include an interface component 202 bywhich the publication system 106 communicates (e.g., over a network 110)with other systems within the SaaS network architecture 100.

The interface component 202 is communicatively coupled to a paymentprocessor component 204 that operates to provide push payment decisionrouting for a payment processor 510 in accordance with the methodsdescribed herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example software architecture306, which may be used in conjunction with various hardwarearchitectures herein described. FIG. 3 is a non-limiting example of asoftware architecture 306, and it will be appreciated that many otherarchitectures may be implemented to facilitate the functionalitydescribed herein. The software architecture 306 may execute on hardwaresuch as a machine 400 of FIG. 4 that includes, among other things,processors 404, memory/storage 406, and input/output (I/O) components418. A representative hardware layer 350 is illustrated and canrepresent, for example, the machine 400 of FIG. 4 . The representativehardware layer 350 includes a processor 352 having associated executableinstructions 304. The executable instructions 304 represent theexecutable instructions of the software architecture 306, includingimplementation of the methods, components, and so forth describedherein. The hardware layer 350 also includes memory and/or storagemodules as memory/storage 354, which also have the executableinstructions 304. The hardware layer 350 may also comprise otherhardware 356.

In the example architecture of FIG. 3 , the software architecture 306may be conceptualized as a stack of layers where each layer providesparticular functionality. For example, the software architecture 306 mayinclude layers such as an operating system 302, libraries 322,frameworks/middleware 318, applications 316, and a presentation layer314. Operationally, the applications 316 and/or other components withinthe layers may invoke API calls 308 through the software stack andreceive a response as messages 312 in response to the API calls 308. Thelayers illustrated are representative in nature, and not all softwarearchitectures have all layers. For example, some mobile orspecial-purpose operating systems may not provide aframeworks/middleware 318, while others may provide such a layer. Othersoftware architectures may include additional or different layers.

The operating system 302 may manage hardware resources and providecommon services. The operating system 302 may include, for example, akernel 320, services 324, and drivers 326. The kernel 320 may act as anabstraction layer between the hardware and the other software layers.For example, the kernel 320 may be responsible for memory management,processor management (e.g., scheduling), component management,networking, security settings, and so on. The services 324 may provideother common services for the other software layers. The drivers 326 areresponsible for controlling or interfacing with the underlying hardware.For instance, the drivers 326 include display drivers, camera drivers,Bluetooth® drivers, flash memory drivers, serial communication drivers(e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB) drivers). Wi-Fi® drivers, audiodrivers, power management drivers, and so forth depending on thehardware configuration.

The libraries 322 provide a common infrastructure that is used by theapplications 316 and/or other components and/or layers. The libraries322 provide functionality that allows other software components toperform tasks in an easier fashion than by interfacing directly with theunderlying operating system 302 functionality (e.g., kernel 320,services 324, and/or drivers 326). The libraries 322 may include systemlibraries 344 (e.g., C standard library) that may provide functions suchas memory allocation functions, string manipulation functions,mathematical functions, and the like. In addition, the libraries 322 mayinclude API libraries 346 such as media libraries (e.g., libraries tosupport presentation and manipulation of various media formats such asMPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC. AMR, JPG, and PNG), graphics libraries (e.g., anOpenGL framework that may be used to render 2D and 3D graphic content ona display), database libraries (e.g., SQLite that may provide variousrelational database functions), web libraries (e.g., WebKit that mayprovide web browsing functionality), and the like. The libraries 322 mayalso include a wide variety of other libraries 348 to provide many otherAPIs to the applications 316 and other software components/modules.

The frameworks/middleware 318 provide a higher-level commoninfrastructure that may be used by the applications 316 and/or othersoftware components/modules. For example, the frameworks/middleware 318may provide various graphic user interface (GUI) functions 342,high-level resource management, high-level location services, and soforth. The frameworks/middleware 318 may provide a broad spectrum ofother APIs that may be utilized by the applications 316 and/or othersoftware components/modules, some of which may be specific to aparticular operating system 302 or platform.

The applications 316 include built in applications 338 and/orthird-party applications 340. Examples of representative built inapplications 338 may include, but are not limited to, a contactsapplication, a browser application, a book reader application, alocation application, a media application, a messaging application,and/or a game application. The third-party applications 340 may includeany application developed using the ANDROID™ or IOS™ softwaredevelopment kit (SDK) by an entity other than the vendor of theparticular platform and may be mobile software running on a mobileoperating system such as IOS™ ANDROID™, WINDOWS® Phone, or other mobileoperating systems. The third-party applications 340 may invoke the APIcalls 308 provided by the mobile operating system (such as the operatingsystem 302) to facilitate functionality described herein.

The applications 316 may use built-in operating system functions (e.g.,kernel 320, services 324, and/or drivers 326), libraries 322, andframeworks/middleware 318 to create user interfaces to interact withusers of the system. Alternatively, or additionally, in some systems,interactions with a user may occur through a presentation layer, such asthe presentation layer 314. In these systems, the application/component“logic” can be separated from the aspects of the application/componentthat interact with a user.

Some software architectures use virtual machines. In the example of FIG.3 , this is illustrated by a virtual machine 310. The virtual machine310 creates a software environment where applications/components canexecute as if they were executing on a hardware machine (such as themachine 400 of FIG. 4 , for example). The virtual machine 310 is hostedby a host operating system the operating system 302 in FIG. 3 ) andtypically, although not always, has a virtual machine monitor 358, whichmanages the operation of the virtual machine 310 as well as theinterface with the host operating system (e.g., the operating system302). A software architecture executes within the virtual machine 310such as an operating system (OS) 336, libraries 334, frameworks 332,applications 330, and/or a presentation layer 328. These layers ofsoftware architecture executing within the virtual machine 310 can bethe same as corresponding layers previously described or may bedifferent.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating components of a machine 400,according to some example embodiments, able to read instructions 304from a machine-readable medium (e.g., a machine-readable storage medium)and perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.Specifically, FIG. 4 shows a diagrammatic representation of the machine400 in the example form of a computer system, within which instructions410 (e.g., software, a program, an application, an applet, an app, orother executable code) for causing the machine 400 to perform any one ormore of the methodologies discussed herein may be executed. As such, theinstructions 410 may be used to implement modules or componentsdescribed herein. The instructions 410 transform the general,non-programmed machine 400 into a particular machine 400 programmed tocarry out the described and illustrated functions in the mannerdescribed. In alternative embodiments, the machine 400 operates as astandalone device or may be coupled (e.g., networked) to other machines.In a networked deployment, the machine 400 may operate in the capacityof a server machine or a client machine in a server-client networkenvironment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed)network environment. The machine 400 may comprise, but not be limitedto, a server computer, a client computer, a personal computer (PC), atablet computer, a laptop computer, a netbook, a set-top box (STB), apersonal digital assistant (PDA), an entertainment media system, acellular telephone, a smart phone, a mobile device, a wearable device(e.g., a smart watch), a smart home device (e.g., a smart appliance),other smart devices, a web appliance, a network router, a networkswitch, a network bridge, or any machine capable of executing theinstructions 410, sequentially or otherwise, that specify actions to betaken by the machine 400. Further, while only a single machine 400 isillustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include acollection of machines that individually or jointly execute theinstructions 410 to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein.

The machine 400 may include processors 404 (including processor 408 andprocessor 412), memory/storage 406, and I/O components 418, which may beconfigured to communicate with each other such as via a bus 402. Thememory/storage 406 may include a memory 414, such as a main memory, orother memory storage, and a storage unit 416, both accessible to theprocessors 404 such as via the bus 402. The storage unit 416 and memory414 store the instructions 410 embodying any one or more of themethodologies or functions described herein. The instructions 410 mayalso reside, completely or partially, within the memory 414, within thestorage unit 416, within at least one of the processors 404 (e.g.,within the processor's cache memory), or any suitable combinationthereof, during execution thereof by the machine 400. Accordingly, thememory 414, the storage unit 416, and the memory of the processors 404are examples of machine-readable media.

The I/O components 418 may include a wide variety of components toreceive input, provide output, produce output, transmit information,exchange information, capture measurements, and so on. The specific I/Ocomponents 418 that are included in a particular machine 400 will dependon the type of machine. For example, portable machines such as mobilephones will likely include a touch input device or other such inputmechanisms, while a headless server machine will likely not include sucha touch input device. It will be appreciated that the I/O components 418may include many other components that are not shown in FIG. 4 . The I/Ocomponents 418 are grouped according to functionality merely forsimplifying the following discussion, and the grouping is in no waylimiting. In various example embodiments, the I/O components 418 mayinclude output components 426 and input components 428. The outputcomponents 426 may include visual components (e.g., a display such as aplasma display panel (PDP), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, aliquid crystal display (LCD), a projector, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)),acoustic components (e.g., speakers), haptic components (e.g., avibratory motor, resistance mechanisms), other signal generators, and soforth. The input components 428 may include alphanumeric inputcomponents (e.g., a keyboard, a touch screen configured to receivealphanumeric input, a photo-optical keyboard, or other alphanumericinput components), point-based input components (e.g., a mouse, atouchpad, a trackball, a joystick, a motion sensor, or other pointinginstruments), tactile input components (e.g., a physical button, a touchscreen that provides location and/or force of touches or touch gestures,or other tactile input components), audio input components (e.g., amicrophone), and the like.

In further example embodiments, the I/O components 418 may includebiometric components 430, motion components 436, environment components434, or position components 438, among a wide array of other components.For example, the biometric components 430 may include components todetect expressions (e.g., hand expressions, facial expressions, vocalexpressions, body gestures, or eye tracking), measure biosignals (e.g.,blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, perspiration, or brainwaves), identify a person (e.g., voice identification, retinalidentification, facial identification, fingerprint identification, orelectroencephalogram-based identification), and the like. The motioncomponents 436 may include acceleration sensor components (e.g.,accelerometer), gravitation sensor components, rotation sensorcomponents (e.g., gyroscope), and so forth. The environment components434 may include, for example, illumination sensor components (e.g.,photometer), temperature sensor components (e.g., one or morethermometers that detect ambient temperature), humidity sensorcomponents, pressure sensor components (e.g., barometer), acousticsensor components (e.g., one or more microphones that detect backgroundnoise), proximity sensor components (e.g., infrared sensors that detectnearby objects), gas sensors (e.g., gas sensors to detect concentrationsof hazardous gases for safety or to measure pollutants in theatmosphere), or other components that may provide indications,measurements, or signals corresponding to a surrounding physicalenvironment. The position components 438 may include location sensorcomponents (e.g., a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver component),altitude sensor components (e.g., altimeters or barometers that detectair pressure from which altitude may be derived), orientation sensorcomponents (e.g., magnetometers), and the like.

Communication may be implemented using a wide variety of technologies.The I/O components 418 may include communication components 440 operableto couple the machine 400 to a network 432 or devices 420 via a coupling424 and a coupling 422, respectively. For example, the communicationcomponents 440 may include a network interface component or othersuitable device to interface with the network 432. In further examples,the communication components 440 may include wired communicationcomponents, wireless communication components, cellular communicationcomponents, near field communication (NFC) components, Bluetooth®components (e.g., Bluetooth® Low Energy), Wi-Fi® components, and othercommunication components to provide communication via other modalities.The devices 420 may be another machine or any of a wide variety ofperipheral devices (e.g., a peripheral device coupled via a USB).

Moreover, the communication components 440 may detect identifiers orinclude components operable to detect identifiers. For example, thecommunication components 440 may include Radio Frequency Identification(RFID) tag reader components, NFC smart tag detection components,optical reader components (e.g., an optical sensor to detectone-dimensional bar codes such as Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code,multi-dimensional bar codes such as Quick Response (QR) code. Azteccode, Data Matrix, Dataglyph, MaxiCode, PDF417, Ultra Code, UCC RSS-2Dbar code, and other optical codes), or acoustic detection components(e.g., microphones to identify tagged audio signals). In addition, avariety of information may be derived via the communication components440, such as location via Internet Protocol (IP) geo-location, locationvia Wi-Fi® signal triangulation, location via detecting an NFC beaconsignal that may indicate a particular location, and so forth.

In some embodiments, a JavaScript library can be embedded into amerchant 502's checkout form to handle credit card information. When auser attempts to complete a transaction using the checkout form, itsends the credit card information directly from the user's browser tothe payment processor 510's servers. The JavaScript library providesmerchants 502 with a set of technologies that can be easily and quicklyintegrated to securely accept payments online. With the JavaScriptlibrary, merchants 502 retain full control of their customers' paymentflows, but their servers are never exposed to sensitive paymentinformation.

When added to a merchant's payment form, the JavaScript libraryautomatically intercepts the payment form submission, sending paymentinformation directly to the payment processor 524 and converting it to asingle-use token. The single-use token can be safely passed to themerchant's systems and used later to charge customers. Merchants 502have complete control of their customers' payment experience withoutever handling, processing, or storing sensitive payment information.

Viewed generally in one example, and with reference to FIG. 5 , apayment processing flow is now described:

The merchant's customer 504 uses an Internet-enabled browser 512 tovisit the merchant's site. The customer 504 is served a JavaScriptlibrary-enabled payment form 520 using standard web technologies. Thecustomer 504 enters the specified information including their paymentinformation 524 and submits the payment form 520. The billing infoportion of the payment form 520 is for payment via a credit card ordebit card. If payment is to be made via an ACH transaction, the billinginfo portion of the payment form 520 will request a bank routing numberand an account number within that bank, and possibly additionalinformation, such as the bank name and whether the account is a checkingor savings account.

The customer's payment information 524 is sent from the customer'sbrowser 512 to the payment processor 510, never touching the merchantservers 506. In this manner, the client-side application electronicallysends payment information 524 retrieved from the customer's electronicdevice to the payment processor 510. The client-side application doesnot send the payment information 524 to the server-side application.

In one preferred embodiment, the payment processor 510 submits therelevant transaction to a processor 514 or directly to the card network516 for authorization or validation of the payment information 524. Thecard network 516 sends the request to the card issuing bank 518, whichauthorizes the transaction. In this embodiment, the payment processor510 and the processor 514/card network 516 function together as apayment processor 510. In another example embodiment, this step isperformed without any communication to the processor 514/card network516. Instead, the payment processor 510 performs its own authorizationor validation of the payment information 524 using heuristic means, suchas by checking the bank identification number (BIN), also referred to asthe issuer identification number (IIN), against a database 126 of known,valid BINs on file with the payment processor 510. (The BIN is a part ofthe bank card number, namely the first six digits.) In yet anotherexample embodiment, this step is not performed at all since theauthorization or validation is not necessary for the next step (4) tosucceed. That is, it is acceptable to create a single-use token in step(4) that represents payment information 524 which has not been validatedin any way.

If authorized, the payment processor 510 will generate and return asecure, single-use token 522 to the customer's browser 512 thatrepresents the customer's payment information 524 but does not leak anysensitive information. In the example embodiment wherein step (3) is notperformed, the payment processor 510 performs this step without waitingto receive authorization from the processor 514 or the card network 516.In this manner, the payment processor 510 creates the token 522 from thepayment information 524 sent by the client-side application, wherein thetoken 522 functions as a proxy for the payment information 524.

The payment form 520 is submitted to the merchant servers 506, includingthe single-use token 522. More specifically, the payment processor 510sends the token 522 to the client-side application, which, in turn,sends the token 522 to the server-side application for use by theserver-side application in conducting the transaction.

The merchant 502 uses the single-use token 522 to submit a chargerequest to the payment processor 510 (or to create a customer object forlater use). In this step, the payment processor 510 submits a request toauthorize the charge to the processor 514 or directly to the cardnetwork 516. This authorization specifies the actual amount to chargethe credit card. If an authorization was already done in step (3) forthe correct amount, this authorization request can be skipped. This maybe a one-time payment for a merchant item, or it may involve registeringthe payment information 524 with the merchant site for subsequent use inmaking a payment for a merchant item (a so-called “card on file”scenario). Using the process described in steps (1) through (6), thepayment information 524 can be used by the server-side application viathe token 522 without the server-side application being exposed to thepayment information 524.

The payment processor 510 settles the charge on behalf of the merchant502 with the processor 514 or directly with the card network 516.

The card network 516 causes the funds to be paid by the card issuingbank 518 to the payment processor 510 or to the payment processor'sacquiring bank 508.

The payment processor 510 causes the settled funds to be sent to themerchant 502 (or to the merchant's bank 526), net of any applicablefees.

The card issuing bank 518 collects the paid funds from the customer 504.

Not all of the steps listed above need happen in real time. Otherexamples, arrangements, and functionality are possible. Applicant'spublished patent application US 2013/0117185 A1 is incorporated byreference in its entirety in this regard. Typically, when the merchant'scustomer 504 submits the payment form 520 in step (1), steps (1) through(6) happen in real time and steps (7) through (10) happen later, usuallyonce per day, as a batch process settling all of the funds for all ofthe payment processor 510's merchants 502. In some examples, the paymentprocessor 510 uses an HTTP-based tokenization API in steps (2) and (4)above. Some broader examples may be considered as “tokenization as aservice,” in which any data is tokenized. One general example mayfacilitate a merger and acquisition (M&A) analysis in which companieswant to compare an overlap in their customer bases. A payment processor510 (acting as a tokenization service) can tokenize the customers 504 ofeach company and compare the overlap without revealing confidentialinformation to either party. Unique payment tokens can be adapted toenable and facilitate such a tokenization service.

The As mentioned above, factors that can present technical challengesinclude resolving the location of a user's electronic device so that alocation-dependent calculation or determination can be performed withaccurate location data.

Thus, in some embodiments, a system is provided for resolving thelocation of user's electronic device and then performing alocation-dependent calculation. An example system may comprise anetwork; one or more hardware processors; and a memory storinginstructions that, when executed by at least one processor among theprocessors, cause the system to perform operations comprising, at least:determining a geographic location of a user's electronic device usingfirst data; in response to determining the determined geographiclocation is insufficient for performing a location-dependentcalculation, requesting second data to determine an updated geographiclocation of the user's electronic device; performing, with an API, thelocation-dependent calculation based on the updated geographic location;and completing, with the API, a transaction using the location-dependentcalculation.

FIG. 6 illustrates a system 600 in accordance with one embodiment. Thesystem 600 includes a server 614 having a Product Catalog 602 for amerchant, such as merchant 502, and a Payment Intent API 604. TheProduct Catalog 602 includes products a merchant sells (available forpurchase). These products will be attached to individual transactionline items in a customer basket at a user device 616, which iscommunicatively coupled to the server 614, to inform Payment Intent API604 of how to treat them for tax purposes. Some product types havereduced tax rates, such as ebooks in most of Europe. Products with notax code use a default from merchant settings—either fully taxable ornot taxable. Example tax codes to apply to products include:

TAX CODE DESCRIPTION DM201010 Digital Media > ebooks > Less ThanPermanent Use Rights Digital Goods & Services DM201020 Digital Media >ebooks > Permanent Use Rights Digital Goods & Services DM201030 DigitalMedia > ebooks > Education & Reference Digital Goods & Services

The Payment Intent API 604 comprises Tax Rates 606, LocationDetermination 608, Tax Determination 610 and Payment Processing 612. Inan embodiment, the system 600 can include the payment processor 510. ThePayment Intent API 604 creates an object that represents a merchant'sintent to collect payment from a user of the user device 616 and tracksthe lifecycle of the payment process through each stage.

As will be described in further detail below, the Location Determination608 determines a location of the user device 616. The Tax Determination610 performs a location dependent calculation, such as calculating salestax using the determined location and applying Tax Rates 606 to aproduct in the Product Catalog 602 based on tax code and/or location.The Payment Processing 612 then completes a transaction for the taxedproduct as discussed in conjunction with FIG. 5 or other methods. Forexample, displaying the final (tax) calculation on the user device 616and accepting payment input from the user device 616. Accordingly, bothtax calculation and payment can be performed with a call to a single APIinstead of to multiple APIs to speed calculation and reducecommunication traffic in the server 614 due to multiple API calls.

The Payment Intent API 604 supports both tax inclusive (expected taxesbuilt into pricing) and tax exclusive (taxes added after pricing) rates.While tax-inclusive merchants must still collect information about theirend customer's location in order to accurately calculate rates, thisinformation won't change the total amount that their customer pays, somerchants can provide tax later in a payment flow. Conversely,tax-exclusive merchants must collect information about their customer'slocation earlier in the flow so that the Payment Processing 612 canaccurately calculate tax rates for the merchant to display to their endcustomer before the customer confirms the payment.

In an example, the Payment Intent API 604 can include a TaxRate objecthaving the following fields:

Field Meaning inclusive Whether this tax is included in the subtotalprice or not. Determined by the tax_behavior of the price object on eachline item. jurisdiction Outside the US: The country charging the tax Inthe US/Canada: The state/province charging the tax percent The basepercentage of the tax. This percentage may not correspond perfectly tothe percentage charged, due to local tax rules. display_name A localdisplay name for this tax. For certain taxes, this may be the legallymandated display name (for example French VAT taxes will appear “TVA”).For other taxes, this is a user-localized version of the tax name (e.g.,a sales may appear as a “taxe de vente” to a French speaker). tax_typeThe type of the tax. country The country charging the tax state In theUS/Canada: The state/province charging the tax Outside the US: Notpresent

The Location Determination 608 determines location initially, in anexample, by determining a location associated with an IP address of theuser device 616. This allows for estimating taxes with no customerfriction (requiring no manual input from the customer). This can bepassed to Payment Intent object at creation or by updating the PaymentIntent object. However, IP addresses will not always provide enoughinformation to perform a location dependent calculation, such asestimate taxes, so the Location Determination 608 may request a user'scountry, Postal Code or full address instead of or in addition. Forexample, an initial location determination (e.g., IP address or viaother methods) may yield an area having different tax rates andtherefore require a location determination with higher resolution todetermine accurate tax. For example, a postal code for initial locationdetermination can yield several towns each with their own tax rate. AnIP address may be insufficient because if it yields a location of acontrolling agency that the user device 616 is connected to and not thetrue location of the user device 616. For example, if the user device616 is in the northern US, the IP address may show Canada, therebyrequiring further resolution of the location of the user device 616.Accordingly, an IP address indicated a physical location at a borderregion will require further resolution by the Location Determination608.

In an example, in order to show taxes on a cart before a customer enterstheir payment information, the merchant may collect a subset of thebilling address before collecting the Payment Method. To do this, theLocation Determination 608 will prompt the user for billing information.FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B show the transition from an IP address locationdetermination at 802 to a user-entered billing, address at 804 in a GUI800.

In order to maintain clarity that this address is lower priority thanthe actual billing address and also not the correct place for collectinga full billing address when collecting payment information, the taxbilling address allows for less detail than a full address. The LocationDetermination 608 will ask for a country, postal code and/orstate/province in the tax billing address.

Alternatively to using the IP address (e.g., if the IP address isinsufficient for the location dependent calculation), the LocationDetermination 608 can request that the user device 616 send currentlocation as determined by a global positioning system (e.g., GPS,GLONASS, etc.) reading by, for example, sending a request to the userdevice 616 to call a geolocation API and report back the result. Inanother example, the Location Determination 608 can determine currentlocation based on a recent photograph. For example, the LocationDetermination 608 can find a recent photograph of the Eiffel Tower inmemory of the user device 616, search for that image in a database ofimages (on the server 614 or elsewhere) with correlated locations anddetermine that the device is in Paris, France. In an example, a user maywish to enter an address different from the location of the user device616 (e.g., a shipping address different from a location of the userdevice 616).

If the tax amount on a payment changes (e.g., user changes tax locationor the Location Determination 608 resolves location to be different thanan initially determined location), the Payment Intent API 604 may needto reconfirm the payment by displaying the updated calculation on theuser device 616 and asking the user to confirm again. When reconfirminga payment, the Payment Intent API 604 may allow the user to change thePayment Method and billing address, in which case the tax amount maychange again, requiring further reconfirmation.

In another example, the Payment Intent API 604 can be employed toprovide access to a computer network based on resolved location. Forexample, the Location Determination 608 determines location and thePayment Processing 612 would grant access (authorization session) basedon the location (e.g., access if in the US and no access if in a foreigncountry; access if at a specific building, limited access otherwise;authorized session for a specific amount of time based on location,etc.). In another example, the Payment Intent API 604 can be employed tocomplete a transaction that transfers fungible goods such as electricityor oil. For example, electricity could be provided to a building inwhich the user device 616 is located.

FIG. 7 illustrates a method 700 in accordance with one embodiment. Aftera user of a mobile device has selected an item for purchase, the method700 determines (702) the tax code for the item based on an entry in theProduct Catalog 602. If (704) the item is not taxable the method 700ends. Otherwise, the location is determined (706) via a first method asdiscussed above. For example, it initially may be via IP address of theuser device 616. If (708) the determined location is insufficient toperform a location-dependent calculation (e.g., sales tax calculation)or determination (e.g., network access), the location is resolved (710)by using a second method to determine location as discussed above. Thismay include, for example, requesting a user of the device to enter alocation or requesting the user's device to send its location based on aread of a GPS device embedded within the user device. Next, acalculation/determination is performed (712) based on the location. Forexample, a sales tax calculation can be calculated based on location andtax code indicating how the item should be taxed. Further, for example,the determination could be to grant access to a network based onlocation. Alternatively, for example, the item could include electricityand the determining based on location could determine if the locationcan receive electricity and/or what type of electricity (e.g., solar,wind, conventional, etc.). Next, a tax breakout is displayed (714) andthe transaction completed (716), which can include processing paymentfor the item, transmitting electricity, granting access to a network,etc.

Examples include:

1. A method for location-dependent determination, comprising:

determining, with one or more processors, a geographic location of auser's electronic device using first data;

in response to determining the determined geographic location isinsufficient for performing a location-dependent determination,requesting second data to determine an updated geographic location ofthe user's electronic device;

performing, with an Application Programming Interface (API), thelocation-dependent determination based on the updated geographiclocation; and

completing, with the API, a transaction using the location-dependentdetermination.

2. The method of example 1, wherein the first data is an InternetProtocol (IP) address of the user's electronic device and the seconddata is a postal code entered by a user into the electronic device.

3. The method of any of the preceding examples, wherein the requestingrequests the electronic device's location based on a global positioningsystem reading.

4. The method of any of the preceding examples, wherein the requestingrequests the user to enter a shipping postal code.

5. The method of any of the preceding examples, wherein the performingthe location-dependent determination is further based on a tax code ofan item to be purchased in the transaction.

6. The method of any of the preceding examples, further comprisinggenerating a product catalog including tax codes for items available forpurchase.

7. The method of any of the preceding examples, wherein the transactionincludes a purchase of an item and the location-dependent determinationincludes tax associated with the purchase.

8. The method of any of the preceding examples, wherein thelocation-dependent determination includes calculating an authorizationsession to access a computer network and the completing includesgranting access to the electronic device to access the computer networkfor the session.

9. The method of any of the preceding examples, wherein thelocation-dependent determination includes calculating a type ofelectricity to transmit to a location of the user's electronic deviceand the completing includes transmitting the electricity to thedetermined location.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructionswhich, when read by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations,the operations comprising, at least:

determining a geographic location of a user's electronic device usingfirst data;

in response to determining the determined geographic location isinsufficient for performing a location-dependent determination,requesting second data to determine an updated geographic location ofthe user's electronic device;

performing, with an Application Programming Interface (API), thelocation-dependent determination based on the updated geographiclocation; and

completing, with the API, a transaction using the location-dependentdetermination.

11. A computing apparatus for location-dependent determinations, thecomputing apparatus comprising:

one or more hardware processors; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by at least oneprocessor among the processors, cause the system to perform operationscomprising, at least:

determining a geographic location of a user's electronic device usingfirst data;

in response to determining the determined geographic location isinsufficient for performing a location-dependent determination,requesting second data to determine an updated geographic location ofthe user's electronic device;

performing, with an Application Programming Interface (API), thelocation-dependent determination based on the updated geographiclocation; and

completing, with the API, a transaction using the location-dependentdetermination.

12. The computing apparatus of any of the preceding examples, whereinthe first data is an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the user'selectronic device and the second data is a postal code entered by a userinto the electronic device.

13. The computing apparatus of any of the preceding examples, whereinthe requesting requests the electronic device's location based on aglobal positioning system reading.

14. The computing apparatus of any of the preceding examples, whereinthe requesting requests the user to enter a shipping postal code.

15. The computing apparatus of any of the preceding examples, whereinthe performing the location-dependent determination is further based ona tax code of an item to be purchased in the transaction.

16. The computing apparatus of any of the preceding examples, whereinthe instructions further configure the apparatus to generate a productcatalog including tax codes for items available for purchase.

17. The computing apparatus of any of the preceding examples, whereinthe transaction includes the purchase of an item and thelocation-dependent determination includes tax.

18. The computing apparatus of any of the preceding examples, whereinthe location-dependent determination includes calculate an authorizationsession to access a computer network and the completing includesgranting access to the electronic device to access the computer networkfor the session.

19. The computing apparatus of any of the preceding examples, whereinthe location-dependent determination includes calculating an amount oftime for the authorization session.

20. The computing apparatus of any of the preceding examples, whereinthe location-dependent determination includes calculate a type ofelectricity to transmit to a location of the user's electronic deviceand the completing includes transmitting the electricity to thedetermined location.

Although the subject matter has been described with reference tospecific example embodiments, it will be evident that variousmodifications and changes may be made to these embodiments withoutdeparting from the broader scope of the disclosed subject matter.Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The accompanying drawingsthat form a part hereof show by way of illustration, and not oflimitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter may bepracticed. The embodiments illustrated are described in sufficientdetail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachingsdisclosed herein. Other embodiments may be utilized and derivedtherefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changesmay be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. ThisDescription, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and thescope of various embodiments is defined only by any appended claims,along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims areentitled.

Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred toherein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merelyfor convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope ofthis application to any single invention or inventive concept if morethan one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments havebeen illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that anyarrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substitutedfor the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to coverany and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in theart upon reviewing the above description.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for location-dependent determination, comprising: determining, with one or more processors, a geographic location of a user's electronic device using first data; in response to determining the determined geographic location is insufficient for performing a location-dependent determination, requesting second data to determine an updated geographic location of the user's electronic device; performing, with an Application Programming Interface (API), the location-dependent determination based on the updated geographic location, the performing of the location-dependent determination including calculating a type of electricity to transmit to a location of the user's electronic device; and completing, with the API, a transaction using the location-dependent determination, the completing of the transaction including transmitting the electricity to the determined geographic location.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data is an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the user's electronic device and the second data is a postal code entered by a user into the electronic device.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting requests the electronic device's location based on a global positioning system reading.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting requests the user to enter a shipping postal code.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing the location-dependent determination is further based on a tax code of an item to be purchased in the transaction.
 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating a product catalog including tax codes for items available for purchase.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction includes a purchase of an item and the location-dependent determination includes tax associated with the purchase.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location-dependent determination includes calculating an authorization session to access a computer network and the completing includes granting access to the electronic device to access the computer network for the session.
 9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions which, when read by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations, the operations comprising, at least: determining a geographic location of a user's electronic device using first data; in response to determining the determined geographic location is insufficient for performing a location-dependent determination, requesting second data to determine an updated geographic location of the user's electronic device; performing, with an Application Programming Interface (API), the location-dependent determination based on the updated geographic location, the performing of the location-dependent determination including calculating a type of electricity to transmit to a location of the user's electronic device; and completing, with the API, a transaction using the location-dependent determination, the completing of the transaction including transmitting the electricity to the determined geographic location.
 10. A computing apparatus for location-dependent determinations, the computing apparatus comprising: one or more hardware processors; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor among the processors, cause the computing apparatus to perform operations comprising, at least: determining a geographic location of a user's electronic device using first data; in response to determining the determined geographic location is insufficient for performing a location-dependent determination, requesting second data to determine an updated geographic location of the user's electronic device; performing, with an Application Programming Interface (API), the location-dependent determination based on the updated geographic location, the performing of the location-dependent determination including calculating a type of electricity to transmit to a location of the user's electronic device; and completing, with the API, a transaction using the location-dependent determination, the completing of the transaction including transmitting the electricity to the determined geographic location.
 11. The computing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first data is an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the user's electronic device and the second data is a postal code entered by a user into the electronic device.
 12. The computing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the requesting requests the electronic device's location based on a global positioning system reading.
 13. The computing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the requesting requests the user to enter a shipping postal code.
 14. The computing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the performing the location-dependent determination is further based on a tax code of an item to be purchased in the transaction.
 15. The computing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions further configure the apparatus to generate a product catalog including tax codes for items available for purchase.
 16. The computing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the transaction includes the purchase of an item and the location-dependent determination includes tax.
 17. The computing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the location-dependent determination includes calculate an authorization session to access a computer network and the completing includes granting access to the electronic device to access the computer network for the session.
 18. The computing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the location-dependent determination includes calculating an amount of time for the authorization session. 